STATE OF HAWAII
Thursday, January 8, 1998
ATTENDANCE
Karen Knudsen, Chairperson
Kelly T. King, First Vice
Chairperson
Dr. Mitsugi Nakashima, Second
Vice Chairperson
Lex Brodie
Dr. John Mike Compton
Janelle Ishida
Denise Matsumoto (excused)
Francis R. McMillen (excused)
Ronald B.Y. Nakano
Noemi Lynn Pendleton
Keith Sakata
Winston Sakurai
Garrett Toguchi
Herbert S. Watanabe
Stanley T. Seki, Deputy
Superintendent of Education
Dr. Donald R. Nugent, Assistant
Superintendent, Office of Personnel Services
Bartholomew Kane, State
Librarian
I. Call to Order
The general business meeting of
the Board of Education was called to order at 3:35 p.m., on Thursday, January 8,
1998, by Chairperson Karen Knudsen, in the Hilo High School Library.
The meeting began with the
posting of the colors and Pledge of Allegiance.
II.Board's Recognition of
Achievements
None.
III.Approval of Minutes,
Appointments, and Contracts
A. Minutes
It was moved by Mrs. King and
seconded by Mr. Sakurai that the Board of Education approve the minutes of the
general business meeting held on
November 6, 1997; and the
Special Meeting held on November 13, 1997.
The motion carried and the
minutes were approved.
B. Personnel Appointments
None.
C. Contract
None.
IV.Reports
A.Superintendent
Deputy Superintendent Stanley
Seki called on Hawaii District Superintendent Patricia Bergin, to introduce two
exemplary Hawaii District programs.
1.Hilo Union Elementary School
Safety Committee Presentation
Board members were shown a video
on school safety by Jayne Fujioka, Hilo Union Elementary School principal. Ms.
Fujioka commended the members of Hilo Union's school safety committee. She also
praised Board member Herbert Watanabe for providing invaluable inservice
training to school administrators regarding facilities' safety issues while he
was with the department.
Mr. Seki reported that the video
would be telecast on Olelo throughout the year.
2. District Presentation: Parent
Involvement in Literacy
Hilo Union
Esther Kottke, Title I
Coordinator, and Carol Callison, Parent-Community Networking Center (PCNC)
coordinator, gave a presentation regarding Hilo Union School's parent
involvement programs and activities, including its "Read and Feed" program.
Hookena
Mary Correa and other members of
Hookena School's school community reported on Hookena's parent-involvement
program.
Kaumana
Mary Ann Paulos, PCNC
coordinator, gave a presentation on Kaumana's efforts to promote family literacy
at the school.
Mr. Seki reviewed materials
given to board members including:
(1) The status of the
administrative package bills (Exhibit 1);
(2)The Superintendent's Update,
including an article detailing Education Week's report on the state of education
in Hawaii (Exhibit 2); and
(3) Articles from the Honolulu
Star Bulletin and the Honolulu Advertiser.
Mrs. Knudsen asked that an
executive summary of the Education Week article be provided to Board members.
Mr. Seki also reported the
Senate Committee on Ways and Means is requesting that the department provide
objective data on its programs. The data will then be used to evaluate the
success or failure of the department's various programs.
Mr. Seki also stated that the
Governor will be holding a cabinet meeting tomorrow and that more information
would be provided to Board members after the meeting.
B.State Librarian
Mr. Kane reviewed materials
given to board members including:
(1)Ho'ala News;
(2)Teamlines;
(3)Acquisitions design team
recommended schedule change;
(4)An article from American
Libraries;
(5)Monthly updates on
circulation, cataloging, and expenditures;
(6)Expenditure plan through
12/31; and
(7)Baker & Taylor and Carl
Corporation.
C. Other Boards, Commissions,
and Councils
None.
D.Officers and Board Committees
Mrs. Knudsen stated that:
(1) The officers had met with
the Governor and certain legislators and that the outlook for the State's
economy is not very good;
(2) The Governor has indicated
that he would like to meet with Board members prior to the Board's developmental
workshop scheduled for January 24th;
(3) Janelle Ishida will be the
Chairperson of the Committee on Student Services, the first time that a student
has been named chair of a committee;
(4) Mrs. King will be chairing
the Select Committee on Academic Renewal;
(5) Board members interested in
serving on the select committee should contact either herself or Mrs. King;
(6) Board members wishing to
change their committee assignments should find someone willing to trade
committees; and
(7) Revisions to the committee
structure are under consideration.
E.Board Members' Concerns
By consensus, Board members
agreed to defer this matter to the end of the meeting.
V.Executive Session on
Personnel, Collective Bargaining, and Legal Matters
It was moved by Mrs. King and
seconded by Dr. Nakashima that the Board of Education go immediately into
executive session.
The motion carried
unanimously.
The meeting moved into executive
session at 5:15 p.m. and returned to open session at 5:55 p.m. to go into
immediate recess.
The meeting resumed at 6:50 p.m.
with introductions of the Board, Department and HSPLS staff members, and Hawaii
District personnel.
VIRequests, Petitions, Etc.,
from the Public
Mountain View - Connections
Program (Attachment A)
John Thatcher, Mae Kaler, Ting
Ortiz, Donna Nooney, and Sally Wilburn from Mountain View School requested that
the Board consider adopting a policy to support, assist in the implementation,
and review of schools-within-schools. They also asked that the Mountain View
Connections program be allowed to continue, unimpeded by administrative
intervention.
Dr. Nakashima stated that if
Mountain View permits the school administrator to make the final decision
regarding the continuation of the program, the SCBM Council has abdicated its
responsibility.
Mrs. King noted that the Board
has a policy requiring principals of large schools to assess whether programs to
ameliorate the effects of their schools' large size should be established. She
also suggested that the Committee on Support Services look into approving a
policy authorizing schools to establish a school-within-a-school if desired.
Ms. Clara Coit submitted written
testimony requesting additional clerical staffing be provided to the schools
(Attachment B).
Mrs. Knudsen noted that
additional clerical positions were requested in the department's supplemental
budget request and that members of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means were
also interested in providing needed help.
Casey Carpenter testified
relative to recommendations made by the Big Island School Counselors Association
(Attachment C).
Jon Olson, Puna Community
Council legislative chair, testified that the Council has submitted its
legislative package to the Legislature. He stated that the Puna district cannot
afford any further cuts to education as Puna is a community in crisis and
already lacks the necessary resources.
Claire Seu spoke in support of
the proposed Gifted and Talented Policy approved by the Committee on Special
Programs (Attachment D).
Mark Watanabe testified in
support of the proposed Vocational-Technical Education policy (Attachment E).
Mary Tullis Hudak expressed
concerns regarding implementation of the Comprehensive Student Support Services
program on the island of Hawaii (Attachment F).
Dano Banks requested the Board's
continued support for vocational education programs (Attachment G).
Clarice Mauricio shared
information with the Board regarding central auditory processing disorders (CAPD).
Ms. Mauricio requested that the department provide greater assistance to
children afflicted with CAPD, including appropriate screening for the disorder.
Dr. Nakashima suggested that
this matter be referred to the Special Programs Committee.
Christine Butcher testified as
to the difficulties she had obtaining needed special education services for her
son.
Greg Sankos testified in support
of the continuation of the Connections Program at Mountain View.
Sandy Bonk testified in support
of the principal at Mountain View, the establishment of other
school-within-a-school programs, teacher training programs, and historic
preservation.
Muriel Hughes, former Mountain
View School principal, spoke in support of increasing parental involvement and
ensuring that the SCBM process moves forward.
Recess was called at 9:25 p.m.;
the meeting was called back to order at 9:50 p.m.
Written testimony was submitted
for the record by Derek Inouye of Pahoa High School asking for the Board's
continued support of Vocational Education (Attachment H).
VII.Recommendations for
Action
A.Approval of the Proposed Board
of Education Policy on Safe Workplace (Committee on Support Services)
It was moved by Mr. Sakata,
seconded by Mrs. King, that the Board of Education approve the proposed BOE
Policy on Safe Workplace.
Mr. Toguchi stated that a
workplace non-violence policy is required by OSHA and HIOSH guidelines. He noted
that while the policy does provide for immediate termination, employees' due
process rights are protected.
Mr. Sakata felt that by adopting
the policy, the Board would be making a statement that workplace violence will
not be tolerated.
Mrs. King noted that the HSTA
was recommending that the policy be amended to make workplace violence "grounds
for immediate discipline" rather than "grounds for immediate termination." She
then suggested that the word, "immediate," be deleted from the second sentence
of the proposed policy as she felt that the immediate termination of a DOE
employee is not a realistic option.
Dr. Nakashima spoke in support
of the adopting the HSTA's recommendation. He stated that "discipline" is a much
broader term and includes termination as a possible consequence for workplace
violence.
Mr. Sakata felt that including
the word, "termination," in the policy would be an effective deterrent to
workplace violence.
Mr. Watanabe agreed with Mrs.
King with regard to deleting the word, "immediate." He also asked whether the
board would be violating the UPW contract should it adopt the policy.
In response to Mr. Watanabe,
Assistant Superintendent Donald Nugent, Office of Personnel Services, stated
that: (1) the establishment of a policy is within the Board's authority; and (2)
if the UPW feels that the policy is inappropriate, it can file a complaint with
the Hawaii Labor Relations Board or negotiate an agreement with the department.
Dr. Nakashima stated that: (1)
empty threats should not be included in Board policies; and (2) he did not
believe that the Board's adoption of the policy would violate the UPW contract.
Mr. Nakano suggested amending
the proposed policy by deleting the words, "and shall be grounds for immediate
termination," from the second sentence of the proposed policy.
Mrs. King stated that by
approving the proposed policy, the committee was adopting a "zero tolerance"
stance against workplace violence. She felt that without the express threat of
termination, the policy would be severely weakened.
Mr. Watanabe moved, Mr.
Sakurai seconded, to amend the proposed policy by deleting the word,
"immediate," from the second sentence of the proposed policy.
The motion carried.
Responding to Dr. Nakashima, Dr.
Nugent stated that while not expressly stated, the DOE's past practice has been
to progressively discipline employees. However, he indicated that the
disciplinary action taken also depends upon how egregious the misconduct is.
Dr. Nakashima felt that stating
that workplace violence shall be grounds for termination is inconsistent with
the concept of progressive discipline.
Mr. Toguchi stated that the
board's policy simply states the position of the Board and that any needed
changes to the department regulations or to collective bargaining agreements can
be made after the adoption of the policy.
While speaking in favor of the
policy, Dr. Compton suggested that perhaps the word, "may," be substituted for
the word, "shall," in the second sentence of the proposed policy.
Mr. Watanabe moved, Dr
Nakashima seconded, to amend the proposed policy by deleting the words, "and
shall be grounds for termination," from the second sentence of the proposed
policy.
The motion failed to carry.
Mr. Sakurai moved, Mr. Nakano
seconded, to amend the proposed policy by substituting the word, "may," for the
word, "shall," from the second sentence of the proposed policy.
Mr. Sakurai spoke in favor of
the motion. He felt that the third sentence of the proposed policy was the
substantive part of the policy.
Mr. Toguchi spoke against the
motion. He felt that by deleting the word, "shall," the decision as to whether
or not to terminate an employee would become a subjective one.
Mr. Nakano spoke in favor of the
motion, stating that it made good sense and was consistent with the third
sentence of the proposed policy. Dr. Compton also spoke in favor of the motion.
Mrs. King and Mr. Sakata spoke
against the motion.
Dr. Nakashima again cautioned
Board members against including the empty threat of termination in the policy.
Mr. Watanabe called for the
question. Mr. Nakano seconded the motion.
The motion to cease debate
carried.
By a roll call vote, the
motion to amend carried with Mr. Brodie, Dr. Compton, Mrs. Knudsen, Mr. Nakano,
Dr. Nakashima, Mr. Sakurai, and Mr. Watanabe voting yes; Mrs. King, Mr. Sakata,
and Mr. Toguchi voting no.
Mr. Watanabe moved, Mr.
Nakano seconded, for the previous question.
The motion to cease debate
carried.
The main motion, as amended,
carried with Mr. Toguchi voting no.
B.Approval of Proposed Board of
Education Policy on Vocational-Technical Education (Committee on Regular
Education, K-12)
It was moved by Dr.
Nakashima, seconded by Mr. Watanabe, that the Board of Education approve the
proposed BOE Policy on Vocational-Technical Education.
Dr. Nakashima explained that the
memorandum recommending the approval of the policy contained an inaccuracy as
the policy would not be replacing the existing regulations, but instead would be
correcting the current situation where there is an existing regulation without a
corresponding policy. He added that the adoption of the policy would be sending
a very clear message to department staff that vocational-technical education
programs are important part of the school curriculum.
In response to Mr. Brodie, Dr.
Nakashima stated that vocational-technical education comprises more than just
the traditional vocational programs, citing the application of computers to
various career fields as an example.
Mr. Brodie felt that the number
of available technical jobs in Hawaii is very small and that because of the lack
of jobs, people are moving to the continental United States.
Mr. Watanabe stated that he has
been involved with vocational-technical educational programs for all of his life
and that the primary reason for the change in focus from the traditional
vocational programs to technical ones is that technology has advanced so much.
In response to Mr. Toguchi, Dr.
Nakashima stated that vocational-technical education was not included in the
Hawaii Content and Performance Standards otherwise it would be required program
for all students.
Mr. Watanabe moved, Dr.
Nakashima seconded, for the previous question.
The motion carried.
The main motion carried.
C.Approval of Proposed 1998
Board of Education Committee Assignments (Chairperson)
It was moved by Mrs. King,
seconded by Mr. Nakano, that the Board of Education approve the proposed 1998
Board of Education Committee Assignments.
Dr. Compton stated that: (1) he
was interested in serving on one of the collective bargaining committees; and
(2) he felt that it was important for Board members to gain experience by
serving on different committees.
Mr. Toguchi stated that the
Board By-Laws do not prevent a non-officer from chairing a select committee and
therefore, suggested that Mr. Sakurai be permitted to chair the Select Committee
on Budget and Fiscal Accountability.
Mrs. Knudsen indicated that no
changes would be made to the committee assignments at this time. She stated that
the Board Chairperson determines the committee assignments with the input of the
Board officers.
Mr. Sakata complimented the
Board leadership for selecting Ms. Ishida as chairperson of the Committee on
Student Services.
Dr. Compton stated that should
one of the members of the collective bargaining committees agree to switch
committee assignments with him, he would be willing to give up the chair of the
Special Programs' Committee.
Mrs. Knudsen stated that if
needed, revisions to the committee structure will be made.
The motion carried.
D.Approval of Nominees to the
Performance Standards Review Commission (Committee on Regular Education, K-12)
It was moved by Dr.
Nakashima, seconded by Mr. Nakano, that the Board of Education appoint the
following nominees to the Performance Standards Review Commission:
SUSAN ST. AUBIN, President,
Hawaii State Parent Teacher Student Association;
ALLISON CHUNG, Hawaii State
Student Council;
HERMAN M. AIZAWA,
Superintendent of Education;
CHARLES ARAKI, Interim Dean
of the College of Education, University of Hawaii;
JANICE JENNER, School
Administrator;
SADAO YANAGI, School Renewal
Specialist;
STEPHANIE KAMAKEAINA,
Teacher;
VELMA LEE, Resource Teacher;
SAKAE LOO,
Community-at-large;
ROBIN CAMPANIANO, Business
Community; and,
ORMOND HAMMOND, Director of
Research and Evaluation, Pacific Resources for Education and Learning.
Mr. Brodie stated that he is
going to vote against the commission's present configuration as he felt that the
private sector was underrepresented.
In response to Mr. Brodie, Dr.
Nakashima stated that in order to assess the effectiveness of the Hawaii Content
and Performance Standards (HCPS) within the required time period, the commission
members need to be familiar with educational practice. He added that the
department had difficulty finding people willing to serve on the commission due
to extremely limited budget the commission will be working with.
Mr. Brodie felt that some of the
HCPS need to be revised in light of concerns raised by the business community.
Mr. Nakano spoke in favor of the
motion.
In response to Mr. Toguchi, Dr.
Nakashima stated that the number of commission members is not set by statute.
While stating that he would be
voting for the motion, Dr. Compton agreed with Mr. Brodie that it may be helpful
to have a broader range of representation on the commission.
Responding to Mrs. King, Dr.
Paul Ban, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, stated that: (1)
persons from the business community were asked to serve on the commission, but
that they declined to do so because of the limited funding available for the
commission; and (2) the Outrigger Hotels, Aloha Airlines, and other businesses
in partnership with the DOE were contacted to participate on the commission.
In response to Mr. Brodie, Dr.
Ban stated that Robin Campaniano is representing the Business Roundtable.
Mr. Toguchi questioned why Mr.
Campaniano is on the commission if an education background is needed. Mr. Sakata
stated that education is important to business.
Dr. Nakashima stated that he has
the highest respect for Sakae Loo who will be named to chair the commission and
that given the limited time period in which the commission has to conduct the
review, the commission members need technical expertise..
Mrs. Knudsen stated to Dr.
Nakashima that they need to see if they can get some money for these people.
In response to Mr. Watanabe,
Mrs. Knudsen stated that Senator Tam and Representative Stegmaier have agreed to
introduce this measure.
Mr. Sakurai moved for the
previous question; Dr. Compton seconded the motion.
The motion to cease debate
carried.
The main motion carried with
two no votes; voting no were Mr. Brodie and
Mr. Toguchi.
E.Approval of Proposed
Legislation Making an Appropriation for the Board of Education's Performance
Standards Review Commission (Committee on Regular Education, K-12)
A motion was made by Dr.
Nakashima and seconded by Dr. Compton that the Board of Education approve the
proposed legislation making an appropriation for the Board of Education's
Performance Standards Review Commission.
Dr. Nakashima explained that the
bill is requesting an appropriation of $30,000 for the Performance Standards
Review Commission.
In response to Mr. Watanabe,
Mrs. Knudsen stated that Senator Tam and Representative Stegmaier have agreed to
introduce the measure in their respective houses of the Legislature.
Mr. Watanabe moved for the
previous question; Mr. Sakata seconded the motion.
The motion to cease debate
carried.
The main motion carried.
IV. Reports
E.Board Members' Concerns
Dr. Compton stated that he is
concerned about the effect the closing of plantations on Kauai will have on
students and that he hopes that the department will be ready with a plan as to
how to minimize the effect of the closings on students.
Mr. Toguchi requested that the
department provide periodic status reports on all of the complaints received
regarding the delivery of special education services.
In response to Mr. Toguchi, Mrs.
Knudsen stated that Mr. Seki is heading a group working on the matter and that
there has been some discussion regarding having an ombudsman attached to the
Board office. Mrs. King added that she has been working with Mr. Seki on having
a complaint procedure established and distributed to parents.
Mr. Toguchi felt that a separate
complaint procedure should be established for special education services.
Mr. Watanabe stated that a Lions
Club member in Alabama called him to let him know how impressed he was with the
members of the Pearl City High School Band.
Dr. Compton requested
clarification from the department regarding the delivery of special education
services to students who are being homeschooled.
VIII. Adjournment
Mr. Sakurai moved to adjourn,
Dr. Nakashima seconded; and the meeting was adjourned at 11:15 p.m.
Submitted for Approval
GALEN K. ONOUYE, Esq.
Executive Director
Approved by the Board
KAREN KNUDSEN
Chairperson